∘◦ ☆ ◦∘
𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 up chaining Lucy, Eustace and I to the side of a sandstone building, next to other prisoners who were shackled further up the wall. The broad iron handcuffs dug into my wrists, rubbing them raw and turning the skin a slight shade of pink.
Sighing in defeat, I slid down the wall to a sitting position, with my knees held up to my chest. Lucy followed my example and soon after, so did Eustace, all of us gloomily watching the people around us muddle on with their day while we sat next to each other.
I watched as women with children walked past, the mothers guiding their kids away from us like we were disgusting, the scared looks from the children and the distasteful looks from the parents proved it so.
I followed a couple down the street with my eyes. Two kids were following behind them, one not having the same features as the rest of the family. A young girl and a boy about my age. I watched how they interacted with each other, the boy, very gently, pushed a piece of hair behind the girls' ear, which the girl reacted with a blush and a bright smile.
"They remind me of you and Edmund," Lucy spoke tenderly like she was remembering a meaningful memory, obviously noticing who I was watching.
Turning to Lucy I softly shook my head in humour, "I don't really know him like that."
There was a short pause before Lucy spoke again, gazing out at the couple, "He always talks about you when he comes home from school, how your accent is music to his ears, even though you've never really had a lengthy conversation," Turning to face me, she gave me a reassuring smile at my nervous look, "He wants to know you like that."
Looking down at my lap, I whispered, "I've always wanted to love someone."
There was another long pause before Lucy spoke again, looking at me with admiration, "I've always wanted someone to love me; to be pretty."
"Lucy, you're beautiful, I told you this before," I spoke softly, resting my hand on her knee, the handcuff chains clanking quietly, "You'll find someone perfect, just don't settle for someone less than what you deserve."
Leaning her head on my shoulder, she whispered, "I'm glad my brother chose you."
Suddenly a cart full of people trapped inside by metal bars came rushing through the street, a man with dark hair and a little girl chased after the cart, reaching out to a woman whose arm was extended towards them.
"Mummy! Mummy!"
The cart turned a corner and out of sight, the man and little girl slowing to a stop, sighed in defeat.
Moments later, the same people came back into sight, down by the dock, and were loaded onto a boat, being sent adrift towards the horizon. The sky darkened, slowly expanding towards the boat, a green mist swirling around them in tendrils until the boat could not be seen, the people inside cried in fear and held onto one another.
The sky lightened back to the bright sunlight of day, showing that the boat had vanished.
✧
After a while, when the sun was slowly hiding behind the buildings and it was starting to get cooler, a crowd started to form around a lifted podium, talking amongst themselves, almost in anticipation.
A man holding a large ring of keys advanced towards us, smiling a wicked grin directly at me. His key ring made noise as he walked, the brass hitting itself in almost a discrete warning.
Tapping Lucy on the shoulder, she looked up and saw the same man, grabbing onto my hand. When he finally made his way over, he forcefully gripped my arm to present the shackles, making me let go of Lucy's hand. He unhooked me from the wall quickly and yanked me to my feet so fast that I stumbled forward a little.
I ripped my arm out of his grasp, but he gripped me again, although tighter than he did before, guiding me through the crowd of people. Everyone we passed gave me a hard look, their eyes sharp with disgust. It was intimidating. Deciding to look down at my feet as we passed, it eased the knots in my stomach slightly.
Clenching my shoulders in his hands, he placed me beside a man on the podium. Standing there for a couple seconds, immediately people started calling out numbers which got higher as they went on, and that's when I realized we were being sold as slaves.
"I bid 60," A man called from the back, raising his arm.
"I bid 80."
"100 for the little lady," Said another, raising his arm as well.
"Any more bids?" The man beside me called out to the crowd, waiting a couple seconds before calling again, "Sold!"
They placed a wood sign around my neck, the rope scratching my skin in an uncomfortable way, before pulling me off to the side to stand and wait.
Eustace was next, the man having to push him up onto the podium because he wouldn't cooperate, "Come on, move. Move!" When he was finally up there, they started the bidding.
"And now, for this... fine specimen. Who'll kick off the bidding?" Nobody said a word, the bidders obviously not liking him very much, "Come on now. He may not look like much, but he's strong."
"Yeah, he's strong, all right," Somebody called from the crowd in disagreement.
"Smells like the rear end of a Minotaur!" Someone also called, which caused everyone else to laugh loudly.
Eustace scuffed and shook his head, "That is an outrageous lie! I won the school hygiene award two years running."
"Come on, someone make a bid!" The auctioneer said impatiently.
"I'll take them off your hands. I'll take them all off your hands!" Spoke a familiar voice, pulling the hood off their head to reveal Drinian and Reepicheep. Several others followed suit, ripping off their hoods to reveal more Narnians.
"For Narnia!" Reepicheep called, which in response, the rest called back, "Narnia!"
The town square turned into a battlefield, everywhere you looked, you could see someone having it out with someone on the opposing side. I quickly positioned myself out of the way from anyone fighting, not wanting to get myself killed.
Spotting Reepicheep scurrying over to Lucy and me with the keys to our shackles, I let out a relieved breath.
He made his way to Lucy first, setting her free, "Thanks, Reep. I knew you'd come," She exclaimed, then ran her way into the fight and disappeared.
Making his way over to me, he slipped the key into the lock with his tail and twisted until there was a click. The shackles loosened and slipped off my wrists, "Thank you Reepicheep!"
With a nod, he scurried his way back into the fight as well, pulling out his sword with a yell.
Suddenly someone tipped over the railing from a balcony above me, but before they could crush me, a mass force tackled me to the ground, making me let out a surprised yelp. The man hit the ground where I had stood, nearly missing me by inches.
Looking up, I noticed the dark curls before actually seeing Edmunds face. He was hovering over me, each hand supporting himself beside my head.
"Told you I'd be next to you," Edmund smirked, letting out a breathy chuckle.
"I didn't think you meant this close," I breathed out as well, the words Lucy had spoken earlier lingering in the back of my mind. He wants to know you like that.
Shaking his head, he stood up and extended his hand to help me up, "I really need to teach you to fight soon."
✧
The fight was over and we were making our way back down to the boat, the citizens of the island clapping for us from the sides of the road as we walked past, overjoyed with their freedom.
I was walking next to Edmund and Lucy, talking about everything and nothing.
"How much do you think I would have been worth?" Lucy asked, laughing into her words, "Dawn was only worth a hundred."
"Hey! At least people wanted me, unlike Eustace..." I said pointedly, shaking my head in bewilderment.
Suddenly a man with dark hair called out, running his way up to King Caspian who was walking in front of us, but Drinian held the man back and away from him. It was the same man from when the cart rode past, "Your Majesty. Your Majesty!"
"My wife was taken just this morning," He called again in a desperate attempt to get King Caspian to listen to him.
"It's all right, Drinian," He said, waving his hand to let the man speak and come closer.
"I beg you, take me with you," The man pleaded when suddenly the little girl with the same dark hair ran up behind him and clung to his leg, "Gael!"
"I want to come," Gael spoke, looking up at her dad.
"No, Gael, stay with your aunt," The man told her, turning back to King Caspian, "I'm a fine sailor. Been on the seas my whole life."
King Caspian nodded his head, "Of course, you must."
"Thank you," The man spoke, obviously relieved that he wasn't rejected.
"But, Daddy!" Gael cried, gripping her father tighter, tears forming in her eyes.
He kneeled down in front of her, holding her shoulders, "Have I ever not come back?"
I felt Edmund turn to look at me, his stare burning into the side of my head and I didn't dare move an inch, that was before I felt his fingers slowly grab onto mine, making their way to intertwine both our hands together.
Glancing down at our hands, I didn't know what to feel, my emotions were pulled in every direction and I couldn't tell which was the strongest. Did I want this?
I lifted my head and continued to watch the two have a heartfelt conversation when he gave my hand a squeeze. The feeling made my heart jump for a split second.
Edmund turned and pulled me down the stone street before I could think any more, following everyone as they continued their way down to the peer.
"My king. My king," Someone called again, a skinny old man who held a sword covered in barnacles.
King Caspian turned to him as he spoke, "This was given to me by your father. I hid it safely in a cave all these years."
"That's an old Narnian sword," Edmund proclaimed, recognizing it.
"It's from your Golden Age. There are seven such swords, gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us. Here, take it. And may it protect you," The man gave it to King Caspian, who took it gratefully.
"Thank you, my lord. And we shall find your lost citizens."
"Edmund," King Caspian called, holding out the sword for him to take. Edmund gave a huge smile and took the sword eagerly.
━━━━
Sorry, this took so long, I have been the busiest bee you have ever freaking seen. But now that I'm out of school, I have made it my mission to get as much writing done as possible before I go on my summer holiday and ill have no time. So, more chapters to come!